MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology

at University College Dublin

This programme involves two core modules, Advanced Research I and II, both of them taught modules which provide you with a grounding in the methodologies, practicalities and theoretical frameworks of Folkloristics and Folklore Studies. Your remaining taught modules will be selected from a range of options in Irish Folklore and related subjects, including but not limited to: 
 

• Cultural Policy 2: Ireland

• Heritage Presentation and Interpretation

• Scéalta Fiannaíochta 1300 – 1900 

• An Béal Beo
   

You will either complete a Masters thesis under the guidance of a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore or undertake a Work Placement (subject to availability) with the National Folklore Collection, the Irish Traditional Music Archive or The National Museum of Ireland’s Museum of Country Life.' with 'You will either complete a Master's thesis under the guidance of a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore or undertake a Work Placement (subject to availability) with the Irish Traditional Music Archive or the National Folklore Collection (although placements in the NFC are unlikely to be offered in the third trimester of the academic year 2021-2022).
 

Stage 1 - Core
 

• Advanced Research 1

  IRFL40130

• Advanced Research 2

  IRFL40190
   

  Stage 1 - Option
   

• Heritage Presentation & Interpretation

  ARCH40830

• Practical Experimental Archaeology

  ARCH40850

• Nature & Culture: A bridge

  ARCH41250

• Cultural Policy 2: Ireland

  CULP40310

• Scéalta Fiannaíochta 1300 - 1900

  IR40050

• An Béal Beo

  IR40480

• Healers and Healing

  IRFL20050

• Oral history and tradition

  IRFL20100

• Popular religion and belief

  IRFL30100

• Aspects of Ethnology

  IRFL40110

• Folklore and Folkloristics

  IRFL40120

• Interpreting the Oral Text

  IRFL40140

• Folklore in Focus: themes and case studies

  IRFL40150

• The Life Cycle

  IRFL40160

• The Narrative Art

  IRFL40170

• Calendar Custom

  IRFL40180

• Collectors of Music & Song

  IRFL40200

• Internship in Archival Methods

  IRFL40220

• Work placement and Report

  IRFL40250

• Dissertation

  IRFL40260

• In the normal course, entry requirements will consist of an undergraduate degree in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.08 (NFQ Level 8). The School may also consider applicants with equivalent qualifications/professional experience for the Pathway Programme.

• Applicants are required to submit original academic transcripts.

• Applicants are also required to submit two references, preferably both relating to academic performance.

• For applicants with equivalent professional qualifications, applicants will be required to submit a focussed statement of 500 words stating why this particular programme is right for the candidate at this point in their career (to be part of the online application).

• Applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit evidence of their language proficiency. Applicants will have reached an overall 7 in IELTS with no individual band lower than 6.5, or equivalent. The School is willing to consider applicants who achieve IELTS 6.5 if they attend a five-week pre-sessional language course offered by the UCD Applied Language Centre. 

• A basic reading knowledge of the Irish language is recommended for MA students. This can be acquired concurrently with the student’s MA studies.

• These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

MA Irish Folklore & Ethnology (Z253) Full Time

EU          fee per year - € 7610
nonEU    fee per year - € 20500
 

Given the nature and reach of the subject, graduates in Irish Folklore and Ethnology can be found across a broad range of occupations and organisations, including heritage institutions, tradition archives, musuems and cultural bodies. Graduates have also found employment in teaching, research, the media and journalism. The MA in Irish Folklore and Ethnology can also act as a pathway to higher degrees in Irish Folklore, involving further in-depth research of a chosen topic.